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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · mouse · bank · mark · jam · present · trunk · sharp

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. present — the time now
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. present — there
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bank — for money
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. present — a gift
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. trunk — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com